Though I have had a Micarea peliocarpa where I only saw the C red reaction in an apothecial section under the microscope

Interesting. I’m afraid I can’t add anything useful to Anthony’s points

Interesting. I’ve only seen it non-fertile or with apothecia, but wondering whether yours maybe has pycnidia? Like Cladonia can have apothecia and/or pycnidia. The Italic website says Bunodophorum can have pycnidia, so seems plausible? italic.units.it/index.php?pr...

I really thought it was a map! Very nice.

I’ve a strong suspicion they are mites rather than slime mould. Mites like that (oribatid mites) are very common under or amongst lichen. I have seen quite a range of slime moulds (including Trichia), but none anything much like that. I think I can just about see tiny legs.

The soredia gave a faint pinkish reaction to K (not really ‘dull violet’).

Very nice!

Nice photos. Not one I know.

Good question!

That is a fantastic display of slime mould (not a fungus or a lichen). It will likely change colour and texture dramatically. Not sure which one, maybe something like Didymium or Fuligo, or Brefeldia, but the PNW likely has different species to where I am in the UK.

Apothecium, plural apothecia. Like jam tarts. Some lichens have perithecia, which are enclosed. Both are types of lichen fruiting body, that produce the spores

Ooh!

Sequencing has its own deep rabbit-holes!

Agh! Sorry! Not sure I like the name variiformis anyway, it sounds like it has even worse implications than varia. Dastardly things

Interesting. The habitat description for A. variiformis maybe makes it less likely? (Mostly coastal.) Don’t think it’s a UK species, so I wasn’t aware of it before. But I agree these lirellate things are tough. I have several samples that need reviewing as I couldn’t decide what they were.

It looks like a lovely soft candlewick blanket. Perhaps Lepra (Pertusaria) corallina?